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U-Amaziya Inkosi YakoJuda
1 U-Amaziya wayeleminyaka engamatshumi amabili lanhlanu ubudala ekubekweni kwakhe ukuba yinkosi, njalo wabusa eJerusalema okweminyaka engamatshumi amabili lasificamunwemunye. Ibizo likanina linguJehowadani evela eJerusalema. 2 Wenza okulungileyo emehlweni kaThixo, kodwa kakwenzanga ngenhliziyo yakhe yonke. 3 Kwathi umbuso wakhe usuqinile, wabulala izikhulu zakhe ezazibulele inkosi uyise. 4 *Kodwa amadodana azo kawabulalanga, wenza okuseMthethweni, eNcwadini kaMosi, lapho uThixo wapha umlayo wathi: “Oyise kabayikubulawa ngenxa yabantwababo, labantwababo kabayikubulawa ngenxa yaboyise; ngulowo lalowo uzafela izono zakhe.”
5 U-Amaziya wabuthanisa abantu bakoJuda wabamisa ngezindlu zabo bephethwe yizinduna zezinkulungwane lezamakhulu kwelakoJuda lelakoBhenjamini. Wasebutha kusukela kwabaleminyaka engamatshumi amabili kusiya phezulu, wathola bezinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amathathu, amadoda akhethiweyo, angaphuma impi, angahloma ngemikhonto langezihlangu. 6 Wabuya waqhatsha ko-Israyeli amaqhawe alamandla azinkulungwane ezilikhulu ngamathalenta esiliva alikhulu.
7 Kodwa kwafika kuye inceku kaNkulunkulu yathi: “Nkosi yami, amabutho ako-Israyeli la akufanelanga aphume impi kanye lawe ngoba uThixo kakho kwabako-Israyeli, kakho lakubani ebantwini bako-Efrayimi. 8 Loba ungaze uhambe uyekulwa ngesibindi empini, uNkulunkulu uzakuchitha phambi kwesitha ngoba uNkulunkulu ulamandla okukusiza loba ukukuchitha.”
9 U-Amaziya wasebuza inceku kaNkulunkulu wathi, “Pho ngizakuthini ngamathalenta alikhulu engiwabhadalele amabutho ako-Israyeli?”
Inceku kaNkulunkulu yaphendula yathi, “UThixo angakunika okunengi kakhulu kulalokho.”
10 U-Amaziya wawakhulula amabutho ayevela ko-Efrayimi wathi kawabuyele kibo. Lokhu amabutho abazondela abakoJuda abuyela kibo ngokufuthelana okukhulu.
11 U-Amaziya wasequnga isibindi, waphuma lamabutho akhe, waya eSigodini seTswayi, lapho abulala khona amadoda aseSeyiri azinkulungwane ezilitshumi. 12 Ibutho lakoJuda lathumba amadoda azinkulungwane ezilitshumi ephila, lawaqhuba layawafikisa engqongeni yeliwa lapho awaphosela khona phansi aphahlazeka wonke aba yizicucu.
13 Kwathi amabutho ayebuyiselwe emuva ngu-Amaziya ngoba engasafuni ukuthi amlwele impi, ahamba ehlasela imizi yaseSamariya laseBhethi-Horoni kwelakoJuda. Abulala abantu abazinkulungwane ezintathu njalo athutha impango enengi kakhulu.
14 U-Amaziya wathi esevela bulala ama-Edomi wabuya ethwele onkulunkulu babantu baseSeyiri. Wabamisa baba ngonkulunkulu bakhe wakhothama kubo wanikela iminikelo yokutshiswa. 15 Ulaka lukaThixo lwavutha wathukuthelela u-Amaziya, wasethuma umphrofethi owafika wambuza wathi, “Kungani udinga uncedo kubonkulunkulu balababantu na, abehluleka ukuvikela abantu babo ekubahlaseleni kwakho?”
16 Wathi esakhuluma, inkosi yathi kuye, “Sikubekile yini ukuba ngumcebisi wenkosi na? Thula! Kungani udinga ukubulawa na?”
Ngakho umphrofethi wema kodwa wasesithi, “Ngiyakwazi ukuthi uNkulunkulu uzimisele ukuthi akubhubhise, ngoba lokhu akwenzileyo kutsho ukuthi awuzange ulalele ukucebisa kwami.”
17 Ngemva kokuba u-Amaziya inkosi yakoJuda eseke wabuza abacebisi bakhe, wathumela ilizwi kuJowashi indodana kaJehowahazi, indodana kaJehu, inkosi yako-Israyeli wathi: “Woza, siqondane ubuso ngobuso.”
18 Kodwa uJowashi inkosi yako-Israyeli waphendula u-Amaziya inkosi yakoJuda wathi: “Isihlahla sameva saseLebhanoni sathumela umbiko kwesomsedari waseLebhanoni sathi: ‘Yendisela indodakazi yakho endodaneni yami ibe ngumkayo.’ Ngakho kwavela isilo saseLebhanoni sanyathela safohloza isihlahla sameva. 19 Uzitshela ukuthi usuyinqobile i-Edomi, khathesi usuziqhenya. Kodwa hlala ekhaya! Kungani uzibangela uhlupho oluzakuchitha luze luchithe loJuda na?”
20 Kodwa u-Amaziya kazange alalele ngoba uNkulunkulu wayekumisile ukuthi uzabanikela kuJowashi, ngenxa yokukhonza kwabo onkulunkulu bama-Edomi. 21 Ngakho uJowashi inkosi yako-Israyeli wasehlasela. Yena kanye lo-Amaziya inkosi yakoJuda baqondana ubuso ngobuso eBhethi-Shemeshi koJuda. 22 UJuda wachithwa ngu-Israyeli, kwathi amadoda wonke abalekela emizini yawo. 23 UJowashi inkosi yako-Israyeli wathumba u-Amaziya inkosi yakoJuda, indodana kaJowashi indodana ka-Ahaziya, eBhethi-Shemeshi. Ngakho uJowashi waya laye eJerusalema njalo wadiliza umduli weJerusalema kusukela eSangweni lika-Efrayimi kusiya eSangweni laseJikweni isibanga esingaba ngamanyathelo angamakhulu ayisithupha ubude baso. 24 Wasethatha lonke igolide lesiliva lazozonke impahla azithola ethempelini likaNkulunkulu ezazilindwe ngu-Obhedi-Edomi, kanye leziligugu zenotho yesigodlweni lezithunjwa, wasebuyela eSamariya.
25 U-Amaziya indodana kaJowashi inkosi yakoJuda waphila okweminyaka elitshumi lemihlanu ngemva kokufa kukaJowashi indodana kaJehowahazi inkosi yako-Israyeli. 26 Ezinye izehlakalo ngombuso ka-Amaziya, kusukela ekuqaleni kuze kube sekupheleni, azilotshwanga yini egwalweni lwamakhosi akoJuda lako-Israyeli na? 27 Kusukela ekuphambukeni kuka-Amaziya engasalandeli uThixo, bamsongela eJerusalema wabalekela eLakhishi, kodwa bathumela amadoda amlandela eLakhishi ambulalela khonale. 28 Wabuyiswa esethwelwe ngebhiza wangcwatshwa labokhokho bakhe eMzini kaJuda.
* 25:4